Family finances: Supplement your dental coverage

You may have hit your annual limit or you're facing treatment that's barely covered by insurance, and you need to find other ways to cover the costs of dental care. A flexible spending account or a health savings account can cover co-pays, deductibles and non-cosmetic dental expenses. The money you contribute to FSAs and HSAs is pretax, meaning it's exempt from income taxes, and FSAs avoid payroll taxes, too. "Paying for dental expenses through your employer's FSA is like having a coupon for 30 percent to 40 percent savings," says Jody Dietel, chief compliance officer for WageWorks, which administers FSAs and HSAs.

For 2015, the maximum amount you can stash in an FSA is $2,550. If you start treatment in December, you can use up the remaining balance in your FSA, then complete treatment in 2016 to dip into the coming year's pot of FSA money, too.

Another smart option is an HSA. If your employer doesn't offer one, you can set one up on your own as long as you have a health insurance policy with a high deductible -- at least $1,300 for individual coverage or $2,600 for family coverage in 2015 and 2016 (ask your insurer or employer if the plan is HSA-eligible). In 2015 and 2016, you can contribute up to $3,350 to the HSA if you have individual coverage. If you have family coverage, the limits are $6,650 in 2015 and $6,750 in 2016. If you're 55 or older anytime during the year, you can contribute an extra $1,000. Your contributions are pretax if made through your employer or tax-deductible if you're on your own.

You generally can't contribute to both an HSA and FSA in the same year, but more employers are offering "HSA-compatible" FSAs. With these accounts, you can fund an HSA as well as set aside up to $2,550 pretax in the FSA to use for dental (or vision) expenses until you reach your health plan's deductible.

If cash flow is an issue, ask your dentist to work out a payment plan. Alternatively, see if you can negotiate a discount by paying in cash up front. Before you agree to an extensive and costly procedure, "be very sure you need the work," says Mark Wolff, an associate dean at New York University College of Dentistry.

If you have more time than money, shop for care at one of the 64 accredited dental schools in the U.S. (www.ada.org/en/coda/find-a-program). Appointments take hours longer than regular dental visits, but students are heavily supervised and offer a full array of services at a reduced cost. You can also consult your state or local dental society for resources.

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-201510011230--tms--kplngmpctnkm-a20151020-20151020-story.html

In other dental news: Aurident offers the Optimet DS 6000 Scanner which uses patented proprietary conoscopic holographic technology to generate highly accurate and consistent scans.

The DS 6000 Scanner can be used for all dental applications such as copings, full contour crowns, bridges up to 14 units, implants, implant bars and dentures.